Method of and apparatus for utilizing heat from blown off boiler products



May 10, 1932. B. P. PHELPS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING HEAT FROM BLOWN OFF BOILER PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet,

Filed Sept. '7, 1929 l1/A TER* STEAM DSCHA/P GE FIOM LOCO BOM FRESH COLD WA TEP STE/4M wif/f3# 57E/1M alsa/AME F/Po/v 1.060 aol L 25am-3523;@ Mm FJD/265m..

May 1o, 1932.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS B. P. PHELPS 1,857,865

FOR UTILIZING HEAT FROM BLOWN OFF BOILER PRODUCTS Filed Sept. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SEPTOR 5E F14/M 7'0 R Patented May 10, 14932Y llanzaron P. PHELPs, or"croviiira,'lKANSASy METHOD oF'ANn'ArPARArUs Fon UTILI'ziG' FRoMjBL'oWN OFFBOILER l PRODUCTS Y' v Application inea 'september 7;? 192s. serialmirarme Thisfinvention relates toa method and an apparatus whereby heat romw the products blown offj from a boiler, such, forf instance, as a locomotive boiler,l maybe made to serve 355-, usefulpurposes in or around thefplant, for

instance, a locomotivel terminal, and particularly' purposes having to; do with the heat servicing of, apparatus requiring; Ldifferent degrees o I" heart in their operation, for infin). stance, t'he filling water reservoir and'fthe Washing water reservoir Vof a locomotive blowoll", washout, and refilling apparatus, or one or more of such reservoirs, andr ali-eating or other apparatus requiring heati--=--= V`1`5 The-practice now generally employed in blowing'down the boiler of a locomotive, Washing'out and'reillin'g thel boiler, is to separa-ter the blowofli" products intol volatiles` used generally for aheating purpose,;such as `2b raising'. the temperature of boiler fillingv water', passing' they liquid content of the blown` off product to washout tank, and discard'- ing the precipitate ofthe product. But this practice is objectionable,.particularly in certain localities where they water`7 discharged front the locomotive boilerv is so highly charged' with impurities thatfit is unsuitable or'washing purposes, even after precipitation of v.the heavier constituent. Moreover,

'an water .discharged from the locomotive boiler under',pressure and passed to thev washout tank is too hot for safe handling bythe employees; i

In `accordance with the present invention, in localities Where it is desired toy use fresh water for Washing boilers as well as refilling them, the minor quantity oftheheat` con# stituent of the product discharged from the locomotive boilerlis used as an agent for heating one'body of: water to a temperature suitable lforfwashing purposes, whilethe major quantity of the heat'content'of the blown off product is used for heating another body of fresh' Water to a temperature suitablieifor filling locomotive boilers ;'the ktransferof the heat content to the respective bodies of' water telnet-heatedI being effected throughthe medium of? the volatiles of the: blown* oli prod# uct as a vehiclegxand the proportioning of the heat content delivered-to the respective being connected to the other'-y reservoir.

bodiesof Waterbeingeectedby ldetermining .the proportion of volatiles; flowing toward the` respective reservoirs for the saidbodies ofrwater, or-by"V having. the volatilesfor the illingffwater Staken otl' in advance yof Vand 55 therefore ata somewhathigher temperature than the-volatiles; taken otl' for: thewashout water-or preferably by both regulating the quantity:y of? volatilesand themorder of their withdrawal insaY mannercto transfer the 0 greater proportion of heatfunits to `theiilling water.'` The described regulation of 4heat transfer through :control-oil volatiles sol as to maintain onesup'ply of water `at a1 temperature appropriatev for llingrpu-rposes'and the e5 through thei useof a separator comprising vat least two and sometrmesiagreater number of individual separating` compartments through .which the products blown off` from locomotive boilers are discharged, for in"- Z5 stance', in series, and lia-,ving independent separator units .connected-` tothe respective reservoirs or other. containers of" the Water tol .be d1fferentially heated; onel separator compartment orunit, ifthere'be but two, so

being connected tofeach reservoir, or agroup ofseveral of such compartments bei-ng connected to one reservoir anda group otlike oradiiferent number :of such compartments 85 ,The separator compartments will preferably be lconnect'edgfin'- series in a manner to cause the blown oil: products to pass through them successively, and- Where a yplurality of compartments;aresused'l foraccumulating the 90 necessary Volume offlvol'atilesi for a single reservoir, that isto-be heated, theA volatile escape passages from such a2 group of compartmentsmay be connected in series yWitha pipe? leading toward such reservoir; Again, 95 the. separators .Which supply the respective reservoirs withthe heatunits may be controlledy as to; the` Volumer of vvolatiles `permitted` to-escapeffrom themg-and one or more separator ,unitst in` a series-f, may be.y arranged '109 so that it may be thrown into a battery of units supplying one reservoir, or a battery supplying the other reservoir, according as circumstances may require at different times as a measure of insuring sufficient heat in one reservoir while avoiding excessive heat in the other. The volatile escape passages will, of course, extend from upper portions of the separator units preferably where units are connected in a series to Vreceive they blown off products successively, and flow will be from the bottom of an antecedent unit to the upper portion of a succeeding unit; escape of precipitate being through the bottomA of an alternate unit. Control of the supply of heat units upon thedual principle of capacity of the units to deliver volatiles as well as voluntarily selected or regulated discharge of such volatiles, effectively insures the differential heating effect, maintains the two bodies of hot water at temperatures appropriate to their distinctive purposes, andjinsures maintenance of the right temperature in each body. y

In the accompanying drawings, in which several embodiments ofthe invention are schematically shown by way of illustration- Figure lrshows a typical arrangement of two separator compartments receiving blown off roducts in series and, respectively, 'supplylng heat units through the volatiles of such products, as a. vehicle, to a filling water reservo-ir and a washing water reservoir of va boiler blowo, washout, and refill system.

Figure 2 is a similar view in which the separators employed for supplying heat to each of the water reservoirs comprise two units each, with the volatile'discharge connections of two units connected in series with the volatile supply passage, and with allof the units connected in series for the flowv of blown off products through them,

Figure 3 is a detail view of'a dual separator comprising three units, of which the intermediate unit is adapted to be thrown -into battery or manifold'with either the filling water heating unit or the washout water heating unit at W-ill.

. Figure4 is aV view showing two batteries of two separator units each, one battery for the filling water and the other battery for the -washout water, and with vall the units connected'for flow of blown oft' products through them in series but vwith the units connected alternately, grouping them sothatthe first `and third units deliver their-volatiles to the filling water while the second and fourth units deliver their volatiles to the washout water;and Y v Y Figure 5 suggests a modificationV of the system according to which spray condensers, instead of being located in the respective reservoirs, are located in separate condensers between the separators andthe reservoirs, and in whichfigure is also shown an arrangement of filling water reservoir concentrically within the washout water reservoir for the purpose ofconserving heat as well as economy in construction. t

In Figure 1, 1 represents the pipe through which are received the products blown off from a steam boiler, such, for instance, as the boiler of a locomotive, in a locomotive terminal or boiler washing and filling plant. 2, 3 represent two units which together constitute a separator through which the blown off products arev passed, and which units are caused to receive said products successively by their connecting pipe 4 leading from the bottom of unit 2 to the upper portion of unit 3. Unit 2 is connected at top to a pipe 5 that conducts volatiles, separated in said'unit, to the upper free space of the filling kwater reservoir 6, where such volatiles meet condensing spray7 and fresh cold water` in a volume suiiicientto condense the volatiles and .cause resultant hot water to be added to the contents of said reservoir. Similarly, separator unit 3 is connected at top by a pipe 8 with thewashing water reservoir. 9, so that volatiles from said unit 3 enter the upper free space of said reservoir where they meet condensing sprayz 10 of suiiicient volume to condense said volatilesand thereby supply an increment of hot water to said washing water tank. Separator units 2 and 3 will be controlled as to the volume of their volatile discharges by means of valves 11 and 12 unless their respective. separating capacities or otherwise made appropriate to the different temperatures required for boiler filling water and looiler washing water, or unless the circumstance that the products pass first into the unit 2, where the greater portion of their heat is withdrawn. and thereafter pass at a proportionately reduced temperature into the unit 3, where a lesser quantity of heat is-demanded, renders such regulation unnecessary.V 13 representsv a discharge'pipe for the last separator unit in the seriesthrough which precipitate and foul water flows. v.

According to Figure 2, separator unit 2 that heats the filling water reservoir is reinforced by unit 2a in tandem therewith for the flow of blown off products by a pipe 4a, and the flow of volatiles by a pipe 5a, while theseparator unit 3 that heats the washing water reservoir is assisted by a unit 3a similarly connected in tandem therewith by pipes Llband 8a; these two separators, consisting respectively of units 2, 2a, and 3, 3a, being connected by a pipe 4 with the same effect as -the separators 2 and 3 of Figure 1. v The last unit in vthis fourunit series has a refuse discharge pipe 13 serving the samepurpose as the pipe 13 in Figure 1. Y

According to Figure 3, there is located between the separator unit 2 for the fillingwater reservoir and the separator unit 3 for the washing-water reservoir, an auxiliary sepa.-

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rator unit 14, connected in series with said units 2 and 3 both with respect to the flow of blown off products and the flow of vola-k tiles; but its volatile pipe 15 may, through means of valves 16, 17, be closed off from or permitted to communicate with either the pipes 5b or 8b and thereby cause said intermediate unit to assist one or the other of said units-2 and 3 according as the temperature of the reservoir served may require.

According to Figure 4, which employs two separator units for each reservoir, the auxiliary reservoir 2am which assists the reservoir 2, is the third in a series to receive the blown 0H products, while the unit 3am that assists the unit 3 is the fourth of a series, the units thus paired being connected in series by pipes 4am, 46:12 and 5am, 8am, with the same purpose and effect as connections established by pipes 4a, 4b and 5a, and 8a in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 5, the separator units, for instance, the units 2?/ and 33/ with their piping 4g, 5y, and Sy, may deliver their volatiles to the filling reservoir 6a and the washing water reservoir 9a indirectly through the condensers 1Sk and 19, which in turn discharge into said reservoirs; and, as suggested, said reservoirs may be arranged concentrical* ly one within the other for the purpose of economizing in construction and conserving the heat of the lilling water reservoir.

In all of the disclosed embodiments of the invention, the separator units will be provided with controlling valves functioning similarly to the volatile controlling valves 11 and 12 of Figure 1; the units 2 and 3 of Figure 2 having said valves 11 and 12; the auxiliary units 2a and 3a in Figure 2 having volatile valves 11a and 12a; the units 2 and 3 in Figure 3 being equipped with valves 11 and 12 as shown while the intermediate unit 14 has two valves 16 and 17 in order that it may be thrown in battery with either of the separator units 2 and 3; the separator units 2 and 3 of Figure 4 having the same valves 11 and 12 while their auxiliary units 2am 3am have the valves 11am, 12am; and Figure 5 having its two separator units 2y, 3y provided with valves 113/, 123].

I claim:

1. The method of salvaging heat from products of blown oil boilers, which consists in separating, under the inherent heat thereof, the volatiles from each of two separate bodies of said blown oil' products. thereby obtaining two separate volumes of volatiles containing different quantities of heat and directing said volatiles separately into heating relation to two different bodies of water.

2. In boiler blowofl" apparatus, vola-tile separating means comprising a plurality of separator units delivering different volumes of heat units, means y delivering to said separator units products blown oil' from a 'units.. if

f4. In. flocolnotiveboiler blowoff apparatus,

'heilen-anda .plurality of'r heat' absorbing units respectively. receiving the f heat; content -of volatiles issuinge from the' respectiyeseimzratoruunits'.. 3. In boiler blowofl' apparatns volatile` separatingl means` comprisi'ngia.l plurality of separator units delivering diflfenent. volumes Aof heat units, means delivering to said. separator units. products blownofffrom `a.boilr, .andi-va plurality of heaty absorbing; units comprisi'ngiboiler lillingl and boiler washing reservoirs, .respectively receiving. the`r` heat content of volatilesissuingf from the respective separator; units ,y the boiler filljingzl reservoir receiving the greatervolmnefof heat a plurality. et.separators,`v means kfor `delizszer- .i ingblownf .olf products-from ka .boiler to e said `ffieparators in sequence, a plurality ofi4 heat absorbing members-separately receiving the volatiles from' .f the respective separators, .a container for filling watergrecelfvlng thesheat `contents from one o psaid heat absorbing vmiembersg andfiaxcontainer for washoutil lwater V.recei-vingt theheat contents from the. other ,.of'saidseparators..- K Y In a boiler blowol ,apparatus, aplu- #ralityo seinirators, n'ieans for delivering lblowngo't .products from? azboilerf to-saidiseparators. in sequence, a: plurality of water. heatingI Ainembe-rs having connections, through which t-hey-- receiver :heat units from the@ respective separators, and a plurality of independent waten storingl members fhaving; con- -nectionsthrlough' which they receive het wateiufrom.- the respective heating members.

In aboiler -blowol apparatus, a blowoll' line, aV plurali-,ty of separatorsk receiving f. products .from said' blowotl line inv sequence, .independent means convey-ingy .vela tiles from the respective#separators, a'plurality ofheat Vabsorbing members` supplied w-.i-th; volatiles the respective. ,con\'1eyingIl means, al washing water container receivingfheat unitsfrom yone or";said'.heat absorbing members,l and a tors into which all of the separators of aV group deliver, a plurality of heat absorbing members to which said volatile channels, re-

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las

spectively, deliver, awashing water container receiving heat units from one of said absorbing members, -and a filling Watercontainer receiving heat units from the other of said absorbing members.

9. In boiler blowoff apparatus, a blowoff line, a plurality of groups of separators to which said bloWoi:2 line delivers, a volatile channel for each group of separators into which all of the separators of a group deliver, and a plurality of heat absorbing units to which said channels, respectively, deliver; means being provided for var ing the number of separators in a group which discharge into the volatile channel.

10. In boilerblowo apparatus, a bloWoH line, a plurality of separators to which said blowoif line delivers in sequence, a plurality of heat absorbing members receiving volatiles from 'the respective separators, and independent Water containers respectively receiving heat units from the respective heat absorbing members.

1l. In boiler blowoff apparatus, the coinbination ofl a illing Water reservoir, a Washing Water reservoir, separators supplying volatiles to the respective reservoirs, and a blowof. pipe adapted to receive blown ofi' products from a boiler and deliver the same to said separators in sequence; there being for each of said reservoirs means for developin a condensing spray in position to condense the `volatiles flowing toward said reservoir. f

12. In boiler bloWoff, washout, and refill apparatus, a filling waterreservoir, a Washing Water reservoir, a plurality of separators, independent means for delivering volatiles from the respective separators to the respective reservoirs, and means for receiving blown off products from a boiler and passing the same through said separators in series;

said products being delivered irst to theV separator 'from Vwhich volatiles flow to the filling Water reservoir.V

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 31st day of August, 1929.

BARTON P. PHELPS. 

